Apologetics for the Masses - Issue #178

General Comments

Hey folks, this weekend I will be at the Apologetics Boot Camp, in Columbia, Missouri. The Boot Camp is on Saturday, November 5th, at Fr. Tolton Catholic High School, from 9:00 AM until Mass with the bishop at 4:30 PM. I’ll be giving three talks, and local apologist Spencer Allen (who I hear is very good), will talk about how to answer Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. Registration is $25 and includes lunch. The Boot Camp will be at Fr. Tolton Regional Catholic High School, 3351 E. Gans Rd., in Columbia. For more information, or to register, go to:

http://apologeticsfromscratch.org/events-2/?regevent_action=register&event_id=6&name_of_event=Apologetics+Boot+Camp+2011

If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll come out and say hello!

Introduction

For long-term readers of this newsletter, you know that I really don’t like it when an organization sends out lots of fundraising letters – one every two or three weeks or so – or now they email you once or twice a week, and some even call your house. Can’t stand that. Which is why the Bible Christian Society does not do any of that. I decided a long time ago to try and send out a modest fundraising appeal via email just twice a year. No hysterics, no crying wolf week in and week out, just a simple request that if you’ve benefitted from our materials, you prayerfully consider supporting our work. And, so far, I have held to that standard.

Again, I am not one of those that cries, “Emergency, emergency!” every few weeks, so when I tell you now that we are in great need here at the Bible Christian Society, you can rest assured that we could really use your help.

I don’t mind telling you that it hasn’t been easy the last few months here at the Bible Christian Society. Donations have been down and I haven’t been able to pay either myself or my part-time help in two months. I have a couple of other jobs, so it hasn’t been catastrophic for our family’s finances, but the Bible Christian Society is still my family’s #1 source of funds, so it has hurt quite a bit.

But, we are still striving to spread the truths of the Catholic Faith far and wide. Below are some quotes from a few folks about the impact that the Bible Christian Society is having on people’s lives, and some facts about our outreach.

So, I simply ask that you take five minutes to read some of the testimonials below and if, after reading these comments, you think we are doing something that needs to continue being done, then prayerfully consider making a donation. Thanks!

Challenge/Response/Strategy

“I have been on your email list for a few years now and enjoy it very much. Your debating techniques have helped me greatly! Once, I was on a father/daughter camp out and after the kids were in their sleeping bags, I found that I was seated among a group of about seven to nine men, all Protestants! Well, when one made the claim that the Catholic Church was leading people into hell, I had to speak up! I spent from 10:00 pm till about 6:00 am in the morning debating all of them! One was a pastor, another was a youth pastor, and yet, when daylight came I had made them all think. Did I "convert" any? Probably not; but almost all came up to me as we were breaking camp and told me I had given them a lot to "think about"! One commended me on my courage to speak up when so drastically outnumbered! I look forward to speaking with them again, though I am not sure when it will happen. Maybe at the next father/daughter camp out! Thanks for you help!”

Dan Beuscher

“ I would like to thank you for your online apologetics. I am currently becoming Catholic and I was a Protestant, I had a ton of questions and wanted Biblical answers. You provided more Scripture then I could absorb and you concreted my belief that the Catholic Church is the only Church that had the answers to the questions I had. My mom was visiting and she is Baptist, she was saying how Catholics are too hung up on Mary. I pulled up your apologetic about Mary and she understood why the Church stood where it did. In fact, I am going to highlight the verses you quote in the answers to my questions so I can show others why I now believe what I believe. Once again, just wanted to thank you from my heart and soul. I pray this encourages you and God blesses you abundantly for providing answers to people who are searching for the good news.”

Kiel Clenney

“I love your style of arguments. thanx for doing this good work. Praying for you and your work. May the Blessed Trinity continue to guide you and bless you and your family. Praise JESUS!!

Anish Devasia
India

“I’m a protestant (from the Pentecostal Church). In my Church I preach, serve the children and youth people and lead the internet website. 23 years ago I left the Roman Catholic Church. From a few months I read your letters. And I have a lot of doubts about my Church and beliefs. Maybe a some days I will return to the RCC, but it is a long way before me. One passage from Bible show me to think about catholicism as a possible true Christianity – Gospel according John 6. Thank you for your emails, which encourage me to think about my faith.

Pawel Kacprzak
Poland

“As a cradle Catholic I wouldn’t know half of what I now know about my faith if it weren’t for you…The MP3 downloads and newsletter keep my confidence high when defending my faith.”

Kevin Ward

“I’d just like to say thanks for all you do. I have become very thirsty for more knowledge in my Catholic faith and I appreciate the wisdom you make so readily available to those who are seeking truth.”

Amanda Henry

"Just wanted to say thank you for what you do. I have ordered all of your cd’s and am learning a lot. I am a life long catholic and your ministry has opened my eyes to my faith. About 5 years ago I got questioned about my faith by a protestant and was embarrassed to not know a lot of the answers. I am now learning more everyday and feel very empowered.”

Jeremy Bachura

That, in a nutshell, is what we do. We answer questions for people – Catholic and non-Catholic alike. We teach Catholics how to better understand their faith and how to better explain it to those who question and/or attack it. We give Catholics more confidence, we give non-Catholics more truth. We reach people in all 50 states and all over the world - Korea, South Africa, Oman, Kenya, England, Samoa, Malaysia, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, and many more. Our materials have helped people in more than 50 countries that I know of. This newsletter has almost 25,000 subscribers, and we’re approaching the one million mark for the number of copies of our audio materials (CD’s and mp3 downloads) that have been distributed. We help good Catholics, become better Catholics. We help bring fallen-away Catholics back to the Faith. We help non-Catholics come closer to, and quite often into, the Faith.

And, we do it all for free. No one else does what we do. No charge for the newsletter. I’ve seen other Catholic apologists offer online courses for hundreds of dollars…not here. Most apologetics CD’s that are out there cost around five or six dollars each, or more…not here. You can get our CD’s for just a $1.00/CD shipping and handling charge when you order online or, if you mail in your order, you can avoid even that cost. And we have mailed tens of thousands of CD’s out for absolutely no charge to places like Ghana, India, the Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. And, you usually have to pay for mp3 downloads…not here.

So, I’m hoping that you will help us continue doing what we do. I always ask for just $0.10 a day. That’s it…just a dime a day…that’s $3.00 per month, or just $36.00 per year. If you can’t afford $36.00 right now, maybe $18.00 today and another $18.00 in six months? Or, maybe you can afford a bit more…we could really use a little extra right now…but, whatever you can do, is greatly appreciated.

There are 3 different ways you can make a 100% tax-deductible donation:

1) By clicking on this link and donating online: www.biblechristiansociety.com/donations

2) Through PayPal: the email address for our account is: admin@biblechristiansociety.com

3) By check – mail to: Bible Christian Society, PO Box 424, Pleasant Grove, AL 35127

One last thing, I have a few new talks in the works – one on the Trinity (which will be helpful with Jehovah’s Witnesses, among others) and revised and updated versions of Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, and a couple of other talks. And, I am still holding out hopes of getting a book and some tri-fold pamphlets out one day. The problem with developing new materials, though, is that I don’t have the resources to hire sufficient help to free me up from doing the every day tasks of running an apostolate – ordering supplies, doing the banking, processing the checks, thank you letters, sending out CD orders, and managing all the other details that go into the running of this apostolate. If I could afford more help, it would free me up to focus solely on apologetics.

So, again, whatever you can do financially will be greatly appreciated and will help us to get even more materials out to even more people. And, please remember, whatever prayers you can send our way, would also be greatly appreciated. I keep all of you in my prayers. Thank you all for your support.

In Conclusion

I have a few anti-Catholic websites that I’m looking at – which you guys have sent in to me – so my next newsletter (hopefully out this coming week) will probably take on a new “foe.” Have a great week!

How to be added to, or removed from, the list

If this newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend, and you would like to be added to our distribution list, all you have to do is go to www.biblechristiansociety.com and click on the “Newsletter” page to sign up. It will take you about 10 seconds.

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